Liquid-fuel heater.



- W. M. HARPSTER.

LIQUID FUEL HEATER. APPLICATION FILED APR.8. 191B.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

, gmmmtoz Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

W. MpHARPSTER.

LIQUID FUEL HEATER.

APPLICATION men APILB. 1918..

[SHEETS-SHEET 2.

a H "Mi awua'ufoz 5 gfa/zyafeno Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

wILLIs M. HARPSTER, or FLORENCE, KANSAS.

LIQUID-FUEL HEATER.

, Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec.1'7, 1918.

Application filed April 8, 1918. Serial No. 227,319.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIS M. HARPSTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Florence, in the county of Marion and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liquid-Fuel Heaters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

hfy invention has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive, yet a highly efficient and durable heater adapted to burn kerosene oil or other appropriate liquid fuel, the arrangement being such as to cause the oil to burn with a blue flame to absorb and radiate all the heat produced by the flame, and to carry off any odors caused by the burning fuel.

With the foregoing general object in View, the invention resides in the novel features of construction and unique combinations of parts to be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matter being supplemented by the accompanyin drawings which form a part of this speci cation and in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of the improved heater;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section on the pliane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; an

Fig. 4: is a horizontal section on the plane of the lines H of Figs. 1 and 3.

In the drawings above briefly described, the numeral 1 designates vertical end plates having suitable supporting feet 2. A substantially horizontal fuel supply pipe 3 extends between and is suitably secured to the lower ends of the plates 1, one end of said pipe having a well known form of fuel tank 4:. A suitable number of nipples 5 rise from and communicate with the pipe 3, said nipples having needle valves 6 for controlling the passage of fuel therethrough. The upper ends of the nipples 5 are joined integrally or otherwise secured to the bottom of a horizontal trough 7, the upper side of said trough bottom having a relatively narrow and deep longitudinal groove 8 in which a longitudinal wick 9 of asbestos or other suitable material is received, the upper portion of said wick projecting vertically into the trough as seen clearly in Fig. 3.

Received removably at its lower end in the trough 7 and loosely receiving the wick 9, is a flat vertically disposed burner casing 10 open at both its upper and lower ends and formed with perforations 11 to admit suflicient air to cause the flame from the wick 9 to burn in the most efficient manner. The upper end of the burner casing 10 is received slidably in thelower vertical end 12 of a horizontally corrugated flue member and heat radiator 13, the vertical edges of said flue member and radiator being suitably secured to and closed by the end plates 1, while the upper end of the part in question is suitably secured to a horizontal vent pipe 14 which extends between and is secured to the upper ends of said end plates. The member 13 is preferably formed of two sheet metal plates as seen clearly in Figs. 2 and '3, the lower ends of said plates being bent outwardly to form hollow beads 15 through which rods 16 pass to hold said ends in correctly spaced relation, said rods being secured to the end plates 1 by any suitable means. A suitable outlet pipe (not shown) will lead from the vent pipe 14: to the open air to carry ofl any noxious gases discharged from the flue member 13.

In operation, the tank 4 supplies the fuel to the groove 8 of trough 7 and the wick 9 becomes saturated with said fuel, the supply being controlled by the valve or valves 6. By sliding the casing 10 upwardly within the lower end of the flue member 13 to a suflicient extent, the wick 9 may be lighted and when said casing is again returned to its proper position, air is fed to the flame through the perforations 11, causing the device to burn with a highly efficient blue flame. The products of combustion escape through the combined flue member and heat radiator 13 to the vent pipe 14 and from the latter are expelled to the open air, so that no bad odors are discharged into the room. The member 13 becomes highly heated by the passage of the products of combustion therethrough and so radiates the heat as to form an extremely efficient device.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be obvious that although the improved heater is comparatively simple and inexpensive, and may be easily and cheaply manufactured, it will be highly efficient and desirable. Since probably the best results are obtained from the several details shown and described, these details are preferably employed, but within the scope of the invention as claimed, considerable latitude is allowed in the manufacture of the device.

I claim:

l. A liquid fuel heater comprising a hori zontal rigid trough having in its bottom a narrow longitudinal groove, 21 wick in said groove extending into said trough, means for supplying liquid fuel to said groove, a flat perforated burner casing disposed vertically and open at its upper and lower ends, the lower end of said burner casing being positioned in said trough and receiving said wick, a vent pipe supported above said burner casing, and a vertically supported horizontally corrugated flue member and heat radiator rising from said burner casing to said vent pipe and communicating with both.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1. said burner casing being movable upwardly irom said trough for lighting said wick and the upper endof said burner casing being slidably received in the lower end of said flue member and radiator.

3. A liquid fuel heater comprising a pair aeaeeo of spaced vertical end plates, a fuel supply pipe extending horizontally between the lower ends of said plates and having at one end a fuelsupply tank, a valved nipple rising from said pipe, a horizontal trough above said pipe and having its bottom joined to said nipple, the upper side of said trough bottom having a longitudinal groove with which said nipple communicates, a wick in said groove extending into said trough, a flat perforated burner casing disposed vertically and open at its upper and lower ends, the lower end of said casing being removably positioned in said trough and receiving said wick, a horizontal vent pipe extending between and supported by the upper ends of said end plates, and a horizontally corrugated flue member and heat radiator extending between said end plates and communieating with said vent pipe, the lower end of said flue member and radiator slidably receiving the upper end of said burner casing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIS M. HARPSTER.

edressing tnefltommissiener of Eetents, 

